Chitra Varga

It is often said that hard things are put in our way, not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength. The inspirational saying is perhaps most appropriate for people with disabilities. “ ನಾಂದಿ ” (‘ Nāndi’ , which means ‘ Prologue ’) is a 1964  Kannada film. The romantic drama, a cult classic, revolved around the plight of people with speech and hearing disabilities. The landmark movie received widespread critical appreciation for its sensitive handling of a heart-wrenching topic. The male protagonist, Murthy (Dr. Rajkumar) is a school teacher, who is blissfully wedded to Nirmala (Kalpana). Misfortune strikes the couple when Nirmala dies while giving birth to a child. Widowed Murthy decides to marry Ganga (Harini), who suffers from speech impairment. The rest of the story is about the trials and times; the travails and triumphs of the two. N. Lakshminarayan has written and directed this drama, one that most certainly will touch a chord with you. The simple, single-t...

The Roman philosopher  Seneca  observed profoundly: “ W ealth is the slave of a wise man ;  the master of a fool . ” “ ನಂದ ಗೋಕುಲ ” (“ Nanda Gokula ”, which is figuratively, “ (a) Joy-Filled House ”) is a 1972 Kannada film, which laced the poignant thought into its theme. The family drama won plaudits for the social values it espoused and presented on celluloid, albeit with the customary share of amped up theatrics and jazzed up dialogues. Sridhar (Ramesh) is a medical student hailing from a tight-knit family of limited means. In due course he becomes a doctor, thanks to the sacrifice of his younger brother, Anand (Dr. Rajkumar), who is in a relationship with Jaya (Jayanthi). Yet, Sridhar deserts his kith and kin to marry Mohini (BV Radha), the daughter of a rich business tycoon. Eventually, wiser counsel prevails on him and he reunites with his family. YR Swamy’s direction has in its  typical narrative  all the ingredients of a 1960s family flick― large servings...

The tale of, and events leading thereto, the marriage of Lord Sri Venkateshwara (also Lord Srinivasa) with his consort, Goddess Padmavathi, makes for fascinating narration . The story, no doubt, makes for a riveting watch on the silver screen. “ ಶ್ರೀ ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ ” (‘ Sri Srinivasa Kalyana’ , which translates to: ‘Welfare of Sri Srinivasa’) is a 1974 Kannada movie, which portrays the story of Lord Srinivasa. The mythological drama was a super hit at the box office; it was dubbed into Tamil as “ Ezhumalaiyaan Darsanam ”. The story begins with rishi s performing a yajna . Sage Narada (Srinath) visits the site of the yajna and asks the rishi s about who they are looking to propitiate. Put in a quandary, the rishi s entrust Bhrigu (Vajramuni) with the task of ascertaining the Supreme Being among the Trinity. After visiting Satyaloka and Kailasa, the respective abodes of Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, Bhrigu infers that the former is unworthy of worship; he curses arrogantly the lat...

As someone rightly observed, ‘the higher you build walls around your heart, the harder you fall when someone tears them down’. “ ಲಗ್ನ ಪತ್ರಿಕೆ” (‘ Lagna Patrike’, which means “Wedding Card”), a 1967 Kannada film has its plot based on that sentiment. The romantic comedy was a musical blockbuster; it did well at the box office too. The male protagonist, Raghu (Raj Kumar) is an ardent devotee of Lord Hanumantha. Having taken a vow of celibacy, he tries to impress upon others the virtues of his path and even attempts to influence all and sundry into adopting lives of austerity, but without much success. His friends and family pester him to get married. All of Raghu’s prudish virtue signaling comes to naught when Sita (Jayanthi) enters his life. Raghu’s aversion soon turns into passion and that paves the way for a laugh riot.   Directed by KSL Swamy, a legend of Kannada films, the flick is a lighthearted comedy , albeit slapstick at times. Chi Udaya Shankar, yet another silver sc...

Poet Carroll Bryant said metaphorically, “Love is a two-way street constantly under construction.” The quote no doubt has the ring of truth. Often though, one has to move heaven and earth to get the construction started on that street. “ ಹೂಮಳೆ” (‘ Hoomale’ , which translates to “ Rain of Flowers ) is a 1998 Kannada film, which won a bunch of state and national awards and earned a ton of accolades from movie buffs. The romantic comedy was a winner at the box-office too.   The male protagonist, Santosh (Ramesh Aravind) works as a creative director in an advertising agency. An eligible bachelor living blissfully with his extended family, Santosh is indecisive about the merits of tying the matrimonial knot. But that is only till he sees Subhashini (Suman Nagarkar) speak eloquently during a television talk show. Besotted with love at first virtual sight, Santosh sets out in search of Subhashini, a resident of Assam. So does he find his true love in Assam, a state plagued by a ter...